Fall is my favorite season, but the end of summer still fills me with regret for all my unrealized summer plans.   Like taking the Newport ferry, which will no longer set sail next year.  Or renting bikes on Block Island – I’ve still never been.  But sometimes you can take a bit of summer with you into the fall, like we did one night at Iggy’s in Warwick.  The line was shorter but the food, and the walk along the beach, were just as good.

We compensated for the summer’s lack of fried seafood by ordering in overabundance – chowder, clamcakes, calimari, fried clams, seafood platters…

This year’s Food For Thought is coming up on September 25th, and it’s going to be RI’s largest food & wine pairing, showcasing some great local restaurants and vineyards.

Want to go?  The first person to comment here (who is able to attend on the 25th) will get on the guest list for the event.  If you’re not quick enough, you can buy tickets online at http://foodforthoughtri.org.

If you want to see my post on last year’s event, it’s here.

As a 10-year-old tomboy, I always rose to the dare of eating something spicy. I’d chomp a hot pepper and try to convince everyone that it was nothing, even if the steam circling out of my ears belied my suffering.

I guess that part of me hasn’t died, because last night I went to Providence’s new BBQ joint Rick’s Roadhouse and insisted on finishing their Wings from Hell so I could get my picture on the Wall of Flame.

The waiver we had to sign hinted at how hot the wings would be. And they were HOT. My dining companions were only able to get through one or two, but once I hit four I became one with the pain and made my way through the rest. These weren’t tasty wings for spice lovers – they were a potent weapon slathered with as much capsicum as a wing could hold. Strangely enough, they were so hot that the Beamish Stout we were drinking tasted like pure sugar. I managed to survive, though we canceled our movie plans for the evening so we could all go home, clutch our stomachs and feel sorry for ourselves.

My Place on the Wall of Flame

This was my second meal at Rick’s. The first as a bit more modest – a shared deluxe barbecue platter. We thought Rick’s was the best barbecue we’ve had in Providence, but I know barbecue is a very subjective and touchy subject, so you should find out for yourselves. A lot of the menu items are a very good value, like the pulled pork sandwich which is just $5.49. They have a bunch of whiskey flights and you can get pitchers of beer (which is a necessary accessory to wash down really hot wings).

If any of you decide to rise to the hot wings challenge, let me know what happens!

Rick’s Roadhouse
370 Richmond St., Providence (in the Jewelry District)

You probably think I’m going to write up some little charming food boutique in a hidden corner of the state. Wrong – it’s a store that you’ve probably already seen. Even more, it’s a chain: Ocean State Job Lot.

Job Lot has been around since the late 70s and sells items unwanted by the manufacturer or stores, like overstocks and overruns. This includes everything from clothing to tools and, as you can guess by my title, food.

Since my first visit a few years ago, the store has become a regular stop in my shopping rotation. Sometimes I pick up staples there, but often I go for the unusual and international products.

My top Job Lot food picks (in no particular order):

1. Teddie Natural Peanut Butter – This natural (non-homogenized, peanut only) peanut butter is delicious and usually around $2 a jar.

2. Gnocchi – Vacuum-packed soft gnocchi are available with or without herbs for only $1. These cook up in minutes and are a tasty alternative to the usual pastas.

3. Israeli Couscous - If you haven’t had Israeli couscous, it’s a larger version of the usual small grains. I’ve seen it in restaurants now and then, but it’s pretty rare – and expensive – in stores. Job Lot’s $1 packages disappear from the shelves fairly quickly.

4. Danish Garden Jams – These jams from Denmark come in a huge blue bucket for only $2. My favorites are the blackcurrant and raspberry. The low-sugar versions don’t have artificial sweeteners, just less sugar, so they are the perfect consistency for stirring into yogurt. Lately we’ve found smaller jars with more exotic flavors, like strawberry mango and orange pineapple with lime and carrot.

5. Dried Figs – catch them in stock and you can get the traditional ring of figs for only $1. If you’re even luckier, you might find luxurious bags of soft miniature mission figs. Also check out other dried fruits like dates and apricots.

It’s hard to stop there. Some of my other Job Lot finds include Apfelschorle, crispbreads and crackers, Lindt truffle bars with flavors like cherry-chili and guava, oh…I could go on and on!

Do you frequent Job Lot? What do you usually buy?

Providence has a co-op in its future! Urban Greens, who has been running a buying club for eight years, is going to be opening a cooperative market at 1577 Westminster Street. I’m excited – it’ll be a convenient way to eat local and fresh even if I miss the farmer’s market.

I bought a founding share today. If you’ve been hoping for a market like this, you should too!

http://urbangreens.com/join

Sometimes being a food blogger is a tough job – like when you have to leave work for a 6-course lunch paired with wine.

Which is just what I did earlier this month, when I was lucky enough to be one of the judges for the final presentation of the Genesis Center’s culinary program. The students in the program were divided into two teams and each chose their own theme for the meal. The lunch I attended was themed “French Infused Pan Asian” and consisted of six courses and a mid-meal sherbert. For a glimpse into the first of the two lunches, take a look at this Providence Journal article.

Some of the savory dishes: onion & garlic soup, crab-stuffed scallops, stone grilled duckling

The Genesis Center provides job training and adult education alongside a child care facility which enables parents to take advantage of the classes. They have classes such as English as a Second Language and Citizenship for immigrants and refugees. Their culinary arts program is an intense 13-week training geared to place students in the culinary field. It’s led by Chef Branden Lewis, who has a contagious enthusiasm that seems to be very effective in inspiring his students to create unique and artful food.

The other judges and I were impressed with both the presentation and the flavor of the dishes. All were memorable enough that I find it hard to pick a favorite! But if I absolutely had to single one out, my favorite flavors were found in the stone grilled duckling, served on top of spinach ravioli and sweet potato fritters, with a refreshing cucumber salad on top. The meal was paired with wines from Newport Vineyards, which were well-chosen and eagerly consumed.

And some sweet: pina colada sherbert, half of an apple duo, jalapeno lollipop

Here’s what the team presented:

(more…)

One of the highlights of my trip to New Orleans was breakfast. We discovered a restaurant called Mother’s up the street from our hotel – it was a cute place with counter service and maybe 25 seats. They had a great early bird breakfast special of eggs, grits, sausage, a biscuit and coffee or OJ. In general, the breakfasts we ate were very different than those up north – hearty and not afraid of meaty components like gravy and ‘debris‘.

When I got back and showed Jeremy all the delicious meals we’d eaten, we were both starving and in the mood for a hearty breakfast. So we headed to the Classic Cafe, where we found the biscuits and gravy even better than before – they’re now making the gravy in house and it’s delicious.

(Part of) the early bird special at Mother’s, Biscuits and Gravy at the Classic Cafe

A few weeks later and I’m back to my usual breakfasts of homemade yogurt or muffins. But I still get hungry when I see these photos.

Mother’s Restaurant
401 Poydras St., New Orleans LA

Classic Cafe
865 Westminster St., Providence RI

Just a quick note about two new cheap grocery options in Rhode Island.

First, a Price Rite moved to Eagle Square on the west side of Providence, filling the gap left by Shaws’ closing. It’s brighter and airier than the old location, and even has a little Cafe Bustelo serving up coffee and baked goods. The seafood counter was also quite impressive. If you haven’t been to Price Rite, the produce is really cheap and there’s a wealth of interesting international foods.

Second, I dragged my boyfriend all the way down to Warwick to go to the new Aldi last weekend. Aldi is a German discount grocery store which has opened a number of locations in the US. Having spent a lot of time in Germany, I think it’s an amusing import (much like if they put an Ocean State Job Lot in Berlin). It’s not absolutely remarkable, but we made a few good finds – a giant rack of ribs, cheap sauerkraut and bratwurst, and a frozen apple strudel which is the perfect coffee accompaniment. Luckily, they’re planning more convenient locations on Smith Hill, in Cranston and in East Providence.

Along the same lines, I have a post in the works about one of my favorite places to stock up on discount food in RI…stay tuned!

Susan VandenBerg is the new pastry chef at Gracie’s in Providence. I came across her husband Steve’s blog Eating Out in America, which chronicles their restaurant experiences and occasionally their lives (like in this great video of Susan’s New Year’s Eve preparations at the restaurant). I was curious about Susan and the magic she works in Gracie’s kitchen so I decided to ask her a few questions.

Susan at Gracie’s, from a video on Eating Out in America

Is there a certain country or region whose pastries and desserts especially inspire you?
I have to say that France, and particularly Paris, are the areas that inspire me as far as desserts and pastries go. I love the various doughs i.e. croissant, puff pastry, brioche, and my favorite thing is the tart – so many variations and wonderful flavors! Of course I’m swayed by the fact that I went to school and did an internship in Paris. What can I say?

Where, besides Gracie’s or home, is your favorite place to eat dessert in Providence?
I have to admit that I haven’t been out and about much in Providence, since work takes up most of my time, but, so far, Pastiche has my vote for desserts. The place reminds me a lot of a European shop, and their product is delicious to boot.

What’s the most unusual ingredient you’ve ever used in one of your creations?
Unusual ingredient you ask – hmmmmmm, that’s a tough one. I think using various spices in chocolates would be the most unusual – paprika, five spice powder and pepper to name a few.

When did your interest in cooking start?
My interest in baking started many years ago, probably with the standard Tollhouse chocolate chip cookie. I’ve loved baking for a long time and find it very relaxing and comforting.

If you weren’t a pastry chef, what would you be doing?
I would be making handcrafted folk santas, teddy bears, Nantucket baskets and anything else I can do with my hands.

Thanks to Susan for answering my questions and being the first interviewee on this blog. I haven’t been to Gracie’s in a couple of months and definitely have to return to try her desserts!

My latest café crush is the newly redesigned Watermark Café in the RISD Store (Rhode Island School of Design, for you out-of-towners). The store is always a great place to fawn over art supplies and glossy books, and now the cafe has been revisioned as a source for healthy, creative food and drinks.

Watermark Cafe

Watermark offers coffee, pastries, salads and sandwiches. The comfy, dark wood room has a few tables, some great magazines (I flipped through Saveur), and a nice view of downtown and the river. It reminds me of a museum cafe, except you don’t have to pay an entrance fee!

This would be a delightful stop if you’re visiting Providence and want to rest after a tour of the RISD museum, which is just up the hill.  I just poked in for a quick cup of coffee after a meeting, but I plan on returning for a snack soon.

It’s open 9-6 Monday through Thursday, 9-3 on Friday. The RISD Store is located at 30 North Main Street, but the public entrance is on the pedestrian-only Canal Street by the river.

Watermark Cafe
30 North Main St., Providence (entrance on Canal Street)